Earthquakes' Argentine midfielder looking for fresh start in America

SANTA CLARA -- For Chris Wondolowski, the two more important qualities of the Earthquakes' newest designated player are these:

"He's left-footed and he's Argentinean," the San Jose star said Friday.

That's true, but don't expect Matias Perez Garcia to equal the two most famous left-footed Argentine players -- Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

The three playmakers all are pint sized -- Perez Garcia is 5-feet-5, same as Maradona and two inches shorter than Messi.

But the comparisons stop there, although Perez Garcia carries similar qualities when it comes to ball control, service and scoring.

He probably never will match two of the best players in history, but Perez Garcia, 29, could be the antidote to save the Earthquakes' 2014 season.

"Obviously, the team right now is not in a great position, but hopefully I can come in and help them," he said Friday, speaking publicly for the first time since signing with the Quakes this week.

Perez Garcia added that he wanted to come to Major League Soccer after talking to fellow Argentines playing in the United States.

"It's growing a lot," he said in Spanish at an introductory news conference. "They are happy playing here."

Perez Garcia hopes to find similar happiness for him and his wife and two sons after turning down offers from three big Argentine clubs.

The attacking midfielder for Club Atletico Tigre had the chance to join Buenos Aires-area teams Independiente, Racing FC or River Plate.

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"In the end we wanted to come to here for security," he said at Levi's Stadium, where the Quakes will play Seattle on Saturday night. "For me, family is very important. I prioritize that over things in my life."

His wife Carla, and sons Joaquin, 5, and Benjamin, 2, joined Perez Garcia on Friday.

The Quakes signed the playmaker to a multi-year deal that included playing Tigre a $2 million transfer fee, according to reports in Argentina. MLS does not disclose contracts.

But San Jose officials acknowledge it is the team's biggest acquisition during the designated player era of MLS.

"As an organization, it shows they are making strides to compete with other teams that have been doing that for years," midfielder Sam Cronin said.

"It shows where our heads are at," Wondolowski added. "We want to excel in this league. To do that we have to get top players."

Perez Garcia was waiting for his work visa before he can play, but might be available as soon as next Friday for a showdown against the Los Angeles Galaxy in Carson.

He expects to fit in as he did with Tigre because the teams share tactical similarities. In other words, Perez Garcia would start on the right side of the midfield and tuck into the center to create chances for teammates.

"There is a level of comfort there so there is not a huge change tactically from he is used to," coach Mark Watson said.

Perez Garcia is the centerpiece of the Earthquakes' transition from using big target forwards to playing a more entertaining ground-possession game.

General manager John Doyle said Friday he wanted to give his coach more options, and that the team still expects former starting forward Steven Lenhart to have a big role.

Lenhart, who is sidelined with a right knee injury, is the backbone of the team's direct style through the air.

Doyle said the team previously was too predictable.

"The perception is we play on a tiny field and just smash everybody," the general manager said. "Mark needs to have more ways to play. Sometimes you play it, sometimes you keep it."

Perez Garcia should broaden the offense. But Watson wouldn't say whether the Argentine will replace winger Shea Salinas in taking the bulk of the free kicks and corner kicks.

"He's got a great touch, great vision and finds players really well," said Salinas, who added he plans to remain a major contributor to the attack.

Quakes officials say they identified Perez Garcia two years ago and put him at the top of their list of 100 players they liked. But it wasn't until two months ago the possibility of signing him became real.

"This is the first one we were prepared for," Doyle said of negotiating for a quality player.

But the general manager recalled a lot of nervous nights with other MLS clubs and the three Buenos Aires teams vying for his services.

Perez Garcia knows fans will expect a lot with the Earthquakes (5-8-5) trying to claw back into the MLS Cup playoff race after a dreadful first half of the season.

But he also knows the difficulty of doing too much too quickly.

"We're going to take our time and do it correctly," Perez Garcia said of meshing with his new teammates.